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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 12

THIS PATTERNED STAINLESS-STEEL DOOR LIFTS UP to display an array of small appliances.A ribbon of tiny lights illuminates the interior for easier access.The cabinet also holds a bank of receptacles .

DOWN LIGHTS WERE NOT PART OF THE DESIGN PALETTE in this Craftsman-style kitchen, so surface-mounted, period-style fixtures fit the bill.

Lighting Inside Cabinets

CABINETSWITH GLASS DOORS always benefit from inside lighting-use glass shelves,too, for extra sparkle. low-voltage light fixtures, suchas puck lights and rope lights, work well inside cabinets because they are small. low-voltage fixtures can be operated by a touch switch or with wiring affixed to a hinge or hidden metal strip sothat lights turn on automatically when the door is opened. Another candidate for cabinet lighting is the notoriously dark and difficult-to-rummage-through corner base cabinet.

THE MINIATURE STRIP LIGHTS IN THESE GLASS CABINETS and the strip halogens in the toespace provide a dramatic glow in the evening, after kitchen work is done.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 11


Undercabinet Lighting

UNDERCABINET LIGHTING can provide the brightest task lighting on countertops, as it's situated directly over and fairly close to the work surface. Halogen puck lights or thin tubes, flexible rope lights, and pencil-thin fluorescent tubes with or without lenses are popular choicesfor undercabinet fixtures. Some fixtures allow for the first unit to be hardwired while adjacent fixtures plug one into the next. Maintaining a low profile is important, and a valence added to or designed into cabinets will help hide fixtures. Keeping the fixture close to the front of the cabinet helpsconceal the fixture and will cause less glare on the countertop.

HIDDEN LIGHT SOURCES ARE THE KEY IN THIS KITCHEN, The ceiling grid adds texture and a place to tuck panels of tiny lights, while undercabinet and over-sink lighting is concealed by cabinets and valences.

LIGHTING IS BOTH SUBTLEAND SHOWY in this high-ceilinged kitchen. A two-light pendant brings light to the island countertop. Range-hood lights illuminate both cooking tasks and a decorative tile backsplash, Adjustable recessed halogen downlights highlight the bay-window wall.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 10


Dimming Lights

DIMMING LIGHT FIXTURES CAN CHANGE MOOD, make lighting options more flexible, and reduce energy use (on occasion, halogen lights should be run at full brightness for a few minutes to preserve lamp life). Different scenarios have different lighting needs, easily handled by dimming light fixtures. At dinner the center of the table should be lit, as if from a campfire. When you are making dinner, light the perimeter of the kitchen so that work can be done. Integrated dimming systems allow you to preset various lighting scenarios that can be called up with the touch of a button or with a remote-control device.

WINDOWS CARVED INTO THE STAINLESS-STEEL BACKSPLASH brighten an urban kitchen, while low-voltage halogen lighting supplies sparkle.Alow-voltage monorail track system holds adjustable fixtures. The suspended plate over the cooktop and matching ledge atop the wall cabinets hold individual halogens. Undercabinet fixtures boost task lighting .

AN ARCHED TRELLIS MAKES A STYLISH SCREEN BETWEEN kitchen and dining room, and it's a clever place to hang halogen lights. During the day light streams in from kitchen and dining room windows.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 09

Halogen bulbs are relatively expensive but put out more light than incandescents and have exceptional color rendition and beam control, making them all-around candidates for ambient and task lighting. Halogen bulbs are available in line-volt fixtures (120 volt) or low-voltage fixtures (12 volt). Low-voltage halogens, found in miniature recessed down lights and undercabinet lights, require a transformer to step down from line voltage. Xenon lamps, the new kids on the block, are touted as being cooler and longer lasting than halogens, but they still run warmer and are lessefficient than fluorescents.

Don't be tempted to ignore that little label inside a recessed light fixture that indicates the maximum wattage. It's safer to have more fixtures than risk the fire hazard of using a bulb that's too hot for the fixture.

THESE PETITE HALOGEN PENDANTS ARE HUNG by black wires that mimic the black cablestying the roof together. Although these are low voltage, halogen bulbs provide a powerful amount of light for their size,and their color mimics daylight.

SURFACE-MOUNTED INCANDESCENT FIXTURES with translucent lenses and low-voltage halogen pendants provide abundant task and ambient light, supplementing the ribbon of windows in this bright kitchen. Both incandescent and halogen bulbs are easy to dim, so the ambience can change with the time of day and task at hand.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 08


About Bulbs

WHILE THE STYLE OF FIXTURE YOU CHOOSE influences the look of a kitchen, the type of bulb used
gives the overall luminescent effect. Use the following as a guide to choosing the best lighting sources for your needs. Incandescent bulbs comprise a large category that includes any type with a filament, including standard tungsten and halogen bulbs. However, the standard incandescent bulb, called an A-type bulb, is what we'll discuss here. Although it costs little, it's expensive to operate because it is inefficient and short-lived (only 10% of the energy generated from an incandescent bulb produces light; the rest is heat). Incandescents remain popular because the warm color is flattering to people and food and they are easy to dim. But halogen, xenon, and new, improved fluorescent bulbs are changing people's buying habits.

Fluorescent bulbs are cooler than incandescent bulbs, four times as efficient, and last ten times longer. Forget the ghastly green fluorescents in your elementary school classroom, or even that old 2-ft. fluorescent in an overhead kitchen fixture--today's residential fluorescent bulbs can be compact enough for use in recessed down lights, in lamps, and under cabinets, and, even better, they can make people and food look natural. Color is measured by the Color Rendering Index (CRI) figure, which rates how realistic objects will look under that light, or the Kelvin rating, which measures color temperature. look for a CRI of 82 or above or a Kelvin rating of 3,oooK or lower.

The compact fluorescent lamp (CFl) has been a major boost to saving energy. These bulbs are roughly the same size as an A-type incandescent, so you can relamp many incandescent fixtures with CFls. CFls are expensive, but many electrical utility companies offer rebates or fixtures themselves at lower cost. In any case, CFls can save 75 percent per fixture and they last ten times as long as incandescent bulbs.

A COMBINATION OF BULB TYPES MAKES FORVERSATILE lighting. Incandescent downlights and fluorescent undercabinet lights combine to provide task lighting and ambient light. White blinds help reflect light from wallwasher downtlghts, and the light stone tiles magnify the amount of light given off by the undercabinet lights.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 07

THERE'S NO POINT IN HAVING A TALL CEILING without making use of that extra space above the cabinets. Adding this curved-top clerestory window makes the window at the sink extraordinary, while the windows above the cabinets on each side bounce light off the ceiling.

CORNER WINDOWS DOUBLE THE BRIGHTNESS in this kitchen by bouncing light off three surfaces. Each window has a complementary light above so that at night light will come from the same place. Copper pendants and wall mounted fixtures provide additionaI lighting. Undercabinet lights supplement task lighting.

THIS WOOD-FILLED KITCHEN GETS ABUNDANT DAYLIGHT, which is supplemented by several pendant incandescent light fixtures to ensure adequate lighting at night or on gloomy days.The undercabinet lighting is switched at the fixture rather than at the wall, which makes the switch lessvisible but also a bit harder to locate.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 06

Supplemental Lighting

MAKE MOST KITCHEN LIGHTIN , TASK LIGHTING . Position task lighting in front of you by using under cabinet lights,adjustable wall mounted fixtures, or downlights 10 in. to 12 in. from wall cabinets. Ambient light is best when diffuse, as its job is to brighten the kitchen overall. It can come from a central fixture,downlights,well-placed and abundant above-cabinet fixtures,or several sources at once. Fixtures that bounce light off ceilings and walls are more efficient than recessed downlights, which can leave the ceiling dark. Accent lighting acids ambience.

Different sources of light make for a more versatile kitchen.Wiring groups of light fixtures separately allows a kitchen to multitask,especially with dimming controls. Be aware that dark surfaces absorb light and glossy surfaces make sharp reflections. Light, matte surfaces reflect light diffusely.

SEVERAL TYPES OF LIGHTS GIVE THIS KITCHEN the look of a train car. Surface-mounted ceiling lights add a decorative touch to the ceiling, while a smaller surface-mounted fixture punctuates the line above the door.More modest, small downlights provide ta sk lighting, supplemented by undercabinet lighting and a window.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 05

A REDESIGNED WINDOW ON A WEST-FACING WALL helps soften the afternoon sun .The whole window area was bumped out and framed at the top with a steel angle that takes up less room than the old 2X wood header. A glass-block panel and new casements set at the outside edge of the bump-out help screen the setting sun.

SKYLIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES OF A GABLED ROOF brighten this kitchen in the woods; trees help keep sunlight diffuse. At night, sconces shine on the gable end and sides, and the yellow paint keeps the ambience warm.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 04

THIS DINING AREA DIRECTLY OFF THE KITCHEN is defined by an octagonal coved ceiling with dimmable perimeter lighting, a pendant light, and windows that let in a phenomenal view.

MORNING LIGHT IS WELCOME IN THIS COUNTRY HOUSE, so the narrow window above the range isn't fitted with shades.The southfacing window over the sink does have protection from a porch overhang. Lighting is provided by pendants, recessed downlights, and range-hood lights.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 03

THIS 2-FT. BY 6-FT . SKYLIGHT WELL HAS SPLAYED sides to reflect light throughout the kitchen. The skylight is glazed w ith a double layer of translucent fiberglass panels. Low-voltage halogen fixtures slide on a curved track for easy adjustments.

A SOUTH-FACING CLERESTORY WINDOW above this dining area allows sunlight to bounce off the upper wall and diffuse throughout the space.Randomly placed glass blocks bring in more soft light in an artful way.

THIS BAY OF NARROW, DOUBLEHUNG WINDOWS is supplemented by windows on the adjacent wall, making a light-filled, cheerful kitchen that's easy to work in. Tiny low-voltage halogens and recessed downlights dramatically light the kitchen at night.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 02


Natural Light

W INDOWS ENLARGE A KITCHEN by extending the view, and add a quality of light that artificial fixtures can't march. Guidelines suggest that windows equal 10 percent of the floor area, but that's abare-and dark-minimum.The trend to replace wall cabinets with windows makes for a brighter kitchen.

How a kitchen is oriented affects window size and placem ent. North light can be pleasantly diffuse for working at a counrertop. South-facing windows provide solar heating in winter months when the sun is lower in the sky.To keep out summer heat,provide a deep roof overhang or shades. Windows facing east or west are a mixed blessing. Morning sun can be a delight, but west-facing windows need shades to lessen the glare of afternoon sun. Windows on facing or intersecting walls make light that's brighter yet less glaring than a single, large window. Windows close to a wall, ceiling, or countertop bounce light off those surfaces.

WALL-TO WALL. BACKSPLASH -TO CEILING GLASS allows a full view of the woods from this kitchen. Glass panels are joined simply at the corner. It's a more fragile detail than fitting w indow frames into a standard wall, but it really brings in the outdoors.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos :  A Well-Lit Kitchen Photos 01

A kitchen can be fitted with the finest of materials and the latest appliances, but it'll be a dismal place if badly lit day or night.Lighting makes a radical difference in how easy-and pleasant-it is to cook,eat, cleanup, and socialize. For much of the day direct and diffuse sunlight add warmth and atmosphere, especially welcome in the morning. If light is prized but heal is not, consider seasonal shading by way of overhangs and trees, and install interior shades or curtains.

Regardless of how much natural light your kitchen receives, artificial light is crucial as well. Task lighting is essential for safe and pleasant cooking, while ambient lighting is essentialfor well-being,and well-placed accent lighting provides the garnish.All kitchens especially those that open to the dining room or family room-will benefit from lighting that's adjustable. If task, ambient,and ornamental lighting are wired separately,anadjacent dinner party can be bathed with light while scullery work stays in shadow. Carefully zoned lighting, along with economical light fixtures, can reduce your electrical bill, too.

A BALANCE OF TONE SAND LIGHT SOURCES makes this a beautifully lit kitchen.The high ceilng is darker to keep it from floating away,and the port hole window is deep to make for more diffuse light.Tiny halogen down lights are recessed in soffits for task and ambient lighting.The dishwashing workspace is bumped outto provide a corner full of windows.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos : Kitchen Walls and Ceilings 03

WHITE OAK FLOORS WITH A GLOSSY FINISH and glossy white paint on ceilings reflect light beautifully in this renovated Craftsman-style kitchen . New shallow box beams (mahogany to match th e cabinets) are fitted with custom -designed Arts and Crafts-style ceiling fixtures.

THESE EMBOSSED METAL CEI LING TILES with metal cove trim make a dazzling and heat -resistant kitchen ceiling.

A BASEMENT DOOR THAT DOESN'T GET MUCH USE doubles as wall space when it is glazed with panes of commercial -grade chalkboard to make a family message center in a busy kitchen .

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos : Kitchen Walls and Ceilings 02

PAINT TAKES THIS KITCHEN INTO WHIMSICAL REALMS, along with the fancifully cut wood applied to cabinets and walls.

THE GLOSSY, WHITE BEADBOARD CEILING in this airy kitchen reflects light from corner windows and cove lights, making a bright balance to the wood tones of floor and cabinets.

THE DRAMA AND BEAUTY OF A TREE-TRUNK POST called for something more than the standard drywall ceiling.A gently arched strip-oak ceiling calls up the image of curves on a boat.Coved edges provide space for lighting and beveled skylights are custom designed to fit the ceiling.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos : Kitchen Walls and Ceilings 01

CONSIDERING THE IMPACT WALLS AND CEILINGS HAVE on the ambience of a kitchen, give them attention early in the design process. Faux painting and stenciling add color and interest, while wallpaper,
wainscoting, and other surface-applied treatments not only add style, but can provide a durable surface. Take into account the orientation of your kitchen when choosing colors. A north-facing kitchen benefits from light, warm colors, while a south-facing kitchen may call for a cooler hue. If paint or wallpaper is the choice for a backsplash, go for satin or glossy paint or water-resistant wallpaper for ease of cleaning.

A ceiling offers opportunity for structural-or faux structural embellishment. Exposed beams provide a place to hang pots and light fixtures and add warmth and coziness to a tall space. A coved ceiling makes a room more formal and spacious, and it can be embellished with a painted frieze and concealed lighting.

A WOOD-PANELED FRIEZE AT THE TOP OF THE WALL cabinets adds an unexpected touch with stenciled gold lines from Frost's poem, The Road Not Taken, perhaps to encourage the family to cook outside the box.

AT JUST OVER 9 FT. HIGH, THIS RICH RED CEILING enlivens a large, curved kitchen, adding depth and preventing the space from feeling too big. Countertops are soapstone and strip-wood flooring is Douglas fir.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos : Choosing a Kitchen Floor Photos 10

THIS CONCRETE FLOOR IN A BUSY FAMILY KITCHEN is finished minimally, with two coats of boiled linseed oil, a finish that isn't as stain proof as sealer, but that makes a softer sheen.The slab is imbedded with radiant-heat polyethylene tubing.Color was added to the concrete after pouring, allowing for the use of two colors. The border pattern ties together the kitchen cabinets and gives an impression similar to a large oriental rug.

A GRID OF WOOD STRIPS IS CAST INTO THE blue -tinted concrete floor to effectively make small concrete slabs.Providing such control joints minimizes or even prevents cracking.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos : Choosing a Kitchen Floor Photos 09

THIS DURANGO LIMESTONE IS FAIRLY POROUS, but a sealer applied periodically makes it easy to care for. Countertops and backsplashes are made from the same limestone, although the backsplash is inset with squares of dark and light mother-of-pearl squares.

TILE LENDS IT SELF TO A BORDER DESIGN, but here a wood border is used around cabinets.The foot or so of wood makes a more com fortable place to stand and work and also gives the tile a more prominent role.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos : Choosing a Kitchen Floor Photos 08

THE TILE FLOOR IN THIS RENOVATED KITCHEN reflects light from new skylights.These12-in.-square ceramic tiles are textured for ease ofwalking and standing,and grout lines are tinted a graygreen, which hides dirt better while complementing thegreens in surrounding elements.

THIS BOLD TILE PATTERN FITS PERFECTLY in a large kitchen with soaring ceilings, a huge arched window, and a statuesque china hutch.

GLAZED CERAMIC TILE CAN LOOK LIKE STONE, but it's actually easier to care for, as it needs no sealant and is less expensive. This subdued tile makes a backdrop for a dramatically grained stone countertop.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos : Choosing a Kitchen Floor Photos 07

IN A TEXAS HILL-COUNTRY HOUSE, MESQUITE is a natural for flooring. This dining room floor is richly figured and durable. Kitchen flooring is slate tile and walls are limestone.

STRIP-WOOD FLOORING IS A WARM, RELATIVELY easy to clean, comfortable flooring for a kitchen. It's especially appropriate in a traditionally styled kitchen.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos : Choosing a Kitchen Floor Photos 06

THIS WIDE-BOARD SOFT WOOD FLOOR IN A 200 -YEAR-OLD house received a soft blue-green paint that brightens the floor with a minimum of labor.

A DARKSTAIN TAKES THIS OAK STRIP FLOOR from ordinary to interesting and provides a chromatic balance between the light cabinets and black countertops.

STRIP-WOOD FLOORING STOPS AT THE THRESHOLD of this contemporary kitchen. From there, the floor is built up of end-grain wood blocks laminated together. Endgrain wood is hard as nails and should last a long, long time.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos : Choosing a Kitchen Floor Photos 05

A WIDE-PLANK PINE FLOOR COMPLETES the all-wood effect in this breakfast room filled with pine wainscoting and oak furniture.

THIS OLD PINE FLOOR GETS A FACE LIFT with a checkerboard pattern painted with trans lucent white and blue glaze. Polyurethane protects the paint layer.

RUNNING THIS WIDE -PLANK PINE FLOOR from the family/dining area through the kitchen makes the space appear more generous . More formal pine-strip flooring takes over at the edge of the kitchen and covers the living room floor.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos : Choosing a Kitchen Floor Photos 04

CORK MAKES A RICH-LOOKING, ELEGANT FLOOR, and it's so easy on the feet.This cork floor creates a warm contrast with the cool white and stainless steel surroundings. lt's a tree product, of course, so cork looks at hom e with wood countertops.

IN THIS URBAN KITCHEN. LARGE VINYL TILES make a stone like floor in accord with stone drawer and door knobsand stone countertops.

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Kitchen Remodeling Photos : Choosing a Kitchen Floor Photos 03

THIS KITCHEN FEATURES TWO MATERIALS designed to look like slate but are much less expensive.Ceramic tile on backsplash and countertops mimics slate and the textured vinyl tile flooring looks uncannily like slate laid with no grout lines.

LINOLEUM TILES LAID IN A CHECKBOARD PATTERN make a warm-looking, hypoallergenic,and comfortable floor. loday's easy-care linoleum is finished in the factory and doesn't need the frequent waxing that sent linoleum into reti rement in the mid-1900s.